TxDOT: Gas stations running out of fuel along I-20 west of Fort Worth

Trucks were stalled along I-35 in Sanger on Saturday. TxDOT officials say trucks parking in the lanes along i-20 west of Forth Worth will delay efforts Sunday to de-ice that stretch, which officials say is "nearly impassable."

Update: 7:20 a.m.: Still waiting to talk to a human at DART media, but in the meantime the transit agency has published a service update at 6 a.m. Bottom line: Trains won’t be back until Monday at the earliest. Shuttles continue to run from station to station.

“We are still working to restore light rail. This involves cleaning and testing switches and making some equipment repairs. We have also cleared some trees that were knocked down by the storm. We have also put out more than 23 tons of ice melt on our operation and passenger facilities.

We hope to be able to restore some level of light rail service Monday. There’s simply lots to do to get the tracks, overhead power lines and rail cars ready. We will make sure we can operate safely before we start. We believe we will have the best opportunity to make progress on this after the temperature gets above freezing. Current models suggest that will happen Sunday.

In the meantime buses continue covering the rail corridors. Click here to view more information about the DART Rail Disruption Bus Shuttles. DART bus routes are on a Sunday schedule and there is no TRE service.

We appreciate your patience. We are working very hard to have light rail back in operation Monday morning.”

Update 7:25 a.m.: Many interstates highways in the DFW area are passable, says TxDOT spokesman Tony Hartzel. But I-35 in Denton is not one of them. “There’s as much as six inches of ice in Denton County, packed down solid. If you can get the word out for people to stay off the highway so we can get our machines there.”

The ice is on I-35 past Denton and on I-35E and I-35W before the interstate merges again.

Hartzel said conditions in Ellis County worsened overnight with a new round of sleet, but that, by contrast, Rockwall County is reporting dry roads and good conditions.

TxdOT is bringing in six motor-graders with serrated blades to try to break up the ice in Denton County, and has ordered 200 tons of straight salt — which once the ice is broken up can melt ice in 15 minutes down to temperatures of 15 degrees.

“The ice is packed down, solid,” he said. “Some of our equipment simply won’t work. Regular snow plows aren’t enough. We need the blades to churn the ice into slush, then we can apply the salt.”

Hartzel said TxDOT expects the weather conditions to worsen tonight, and to remain on an emergency footing for the foreseeable future.

***

If you’re headed west of Fort Worth, you’re in trouble.

Interstate 20 west of Forth Worth is “virtually impassable,” as is the short stretch of I-30 that runs west of the city before it merges with I-20, says TxDOT spokesman Michael Peters.

Worst still: Gas stations along Interstate 20, west of Fort Worth on the way to Abilene, are running out of gas, he said early Sunday morning.

TxDOT has been telling its followers on Twitter to “stay home or go slow” ever since the storm put the DFW region on ice four days ago. But for folks who must travel on I-20, they better bring some gas.

Peters, a spokesman for the TxDOT Fort Worth office, said 600 employees in Dallas and Forth districts, have been working 12 hour shifts since the storm began to clear roads. Later this morning, as temperatures slip above freezing, crews will be using heavy machinery to clear ice on I-20 and I-30.

“TxDOT crews have been working throughout the night,” Peters said. “It’s day four of a 24/7 operation to keep the roads passable. This morning, with the expected rise in temperatures, we will be bringing in motor-graders to cler the ice on our major corridors, first focusing on I-35 North of Fort Worth and Interstate 20 corridor west of Fort Worth.”

I-20 is especially problematic — and really ought to be avoided, if at all possible. “The problem on I-20 between FW and Abilene has been trucks parking on the lanes. We are working with the DPS to get them to the shoulder. Until then, this will hamper our efforts.”

THe bottom line — and for most of you this will be an unnecessary warning — TxDOT is hoping you’ll stay home, or off the interstates anyway. “We encourage them to stay off the roads today, while we bring in heavy equipment to knock off the ice. We discourage travel at this time, especially on I-20.”

An additional warning, for those traveling throughout Texas: “Seek shelter,” he said.

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